How? How is it November? How are we heading into conferences and Thanksgiving break? To say that this school year has flown by so far would be an understatement! From the looks of my coaching blog, you can see that I haven't posted since the beginning of the school year, so something must be up. What is going on, you ask? Well...ALL THE THINGS! I have been partnering with teachers on building our students fact fluency, maintaining previously taught concepts, perfecting classroom routines and procedures, engaging students with active participation techniques, focusing on phonics, planning for small group instruction with a purpose and reading books to enhance our instructional strategies. The list goes on...and on... and on... Although our lists as teachers seems to get bigger by the day, and there seems to be little time to cross things off of our lists, I love a good challenge. So, let's put one more thing on your list and see how it helps us grow! Now that we are rounding out the end of Trimester 1 and heading into the holiday season and all that comes along with that, let's take a moment to reflect on where you are now, recharge ourselves and ramp up for where you are going. So first trimester is over, huh?!? Personally, I get excited for this time of year. Even though the holiday season gets busy, crazy and altogether rushed, I love Thanksgiving. It is the beginning of a fun and magical season, focused on giving thanks and appreciation to all that we have and love. Thanksgiving is a unique holiday... one spent with family, enjoying time together, and is focused on reflecting and appreciating what we have. No frills, no gifts, no big events or decorations, just food, family and fun. In connection to Thanksgiving, as educators, we have a lot to be thankful for. So many of us ask that question of our students, but do we ask that of ourselves in terms of our career? What are you thankful for as a teacher? It is easy to point out all of the things that make this job exhausting, overwhelming and hard...the list is pretty never-ending. But is is also easy to find the moments to be thankful for, the little celebrations and successes to embrace and the reason we do what we do. As we wrap up the first trimester, as we sit down at conferences to share with parents the heart and soul we have put into each and every child we teach and head into the beginning of the holiday season, I challenge you to take a moment to reflect on what you have done over the past 12 weeks with your students. Note all of the work you have done and reasons to be thankful for your efforts, students, commitment and passion. Once you make it through conferences and report cards, you are rewarded with...THANKSGIVING BREAK! I always feel like Thanksgiving Break is the perfect amount of time to prepare for the holiday gathering, get a jump start on Christmas shopping and enjoy some down-time with the family before we get all hyped up in the holiday spirit! When we take a few extra days to recharge, we get to breathe. We get to disconnect from our daily tasks and to-do lists at school and be home. Although it is hard to leave school at school, sometimes it is exactly what we need to recharge and get back in the game with our heads and hearts exactly where they need to be. I challenge you to take the Thanksgiving Break to recharge yourself. Leave school at school, for just a few days. Spend time with your family and friends. Get your to-do list at home written, prioritized or even conquered. Prepare yourself for the holiday hustle...whether that means taking a day to sit on the couch and watch movies because it is the only chance you will get before the New Year or that means putting up decorations, going shopping or planning family fun. We all need to practice some self-care and recharge. We all need to allow ourselves to be people too. Teachers are so defined by their careers. Teaching is consuming and makes us who we are, but don't forget to be you too! Once we return from Thanksgiving Break it will be December. Let that sink in for a minute...DECEMBER! We all know that December is fast. December is full of fun, festiveness and frills. December is full of school events, holiday gatherings, friends, family, spirit days, family functions, shopping, preparing and special events. Although all of those events can be enjoyable, it is easy to get caught up in all of those moments and the month really does fly by. As you return to school for the month of December, I challenge you to take a moment to Ramp Up for the new year. As you create magical moments for your students, fill your classroom walls with fun, learning and memories, sit back and watch your classroom too. Look for routines, practices, and reactions. Notice and name the happenings in your classroom. Think about what you and your students do each day. What do you love about your classroom? What do you wish you could change for you and your students? What is something that could be a game-changer in your day and/or your students learning? Once you take a moment to watch, you can ramp yourself up for the new year. Use December to make a plan for the new year. Pinpoint a goal or area that you and your students can fine-tune or grow. Write down your goal, connect with your coach (wink, wink), and ramp yourself up for making some new magic happen. We often want to jump right in and start making changes. But changes that have a lasting impact take time. They take dedication, planning, preparation and partnership. Enjoy your December and all that it brings, but ramp yourself up to grow. Find something you are passionate about in your teaching and make a plan to put it in place for the new year. Now that the first trimester has come to a close...reflect, recharge and ramp up. The school-year is young. We have so much time to grow and learn together. Take a few moments to turn that grading marker around and point it towards yourself. Write down your own needs, strengths, and areas for growth. Reflect on what you've accomplished so far, recharge yourself for upcoming trimester and ramp yourself up for the ways you can continue to grow. Are you willing to accept the challenge? Need a partner? I'll join you!
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Hi! I'm Ashley...6I'm an Instructional Coach at Troy Craughwell Elementary. I was a 1st and 2nd grade teacher for 10 years and decided to make the move to coaching 6 years ago and couldn't be happier! I'm using this blog as a way to connect with other teachers, as well as, share resources and support! We have so much to learn from one another! Archives
November 2019
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